Book Review – Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley

Walk Through Fire (Chaos)
Sweet second chance romance of a lifetime, my friends!! This is pure K.A. infuriating alpha, family frustrations, MC rules and full-on sweetness!! But at first, it temps us with it’s angsty unrequited love “intro” that I adore!!! And the intro lasted just enough for me to feel that they couldn’t stand each other. I was in!! And many in our crew were too!

LisaM: I read Walk Through Fire & I think you can read it as as stand alone but it’s so much better reading the whole series as you really get the full effect knowing all the characters. I fell in love with all the characters in the series and it’s so nice to read about them & catch up with them so to speak!! Love KA!!! She’s an awesone author!!! Loved every single book of hers that I have read!!

Niki: I am almost finished with Walk through Fire!!! It’s long but every time I pick it up it sucks me back in!!! Definitely classic KA!! I haven’t been into some of her newer books but this series is awesome!!

Stephanie: So I stuck it out and finished Walk Through Fire and I’m so glad I did. Once you get through about 30% of book, it really picks up. Very rough at the beginning but if Millie can forgive the way High treats her during that time then I guess I can, although he was very bad. Tack is till my number 1.

At first… I loved it!!! I mean… how can I resist a book where she sees him after all of these years, her heart practically stops, and she decides she’s going to let him know she still loves him… and “why” it ended? I could not resist this!

…he needed to know.

So I was going to find him.

Then I was going to tell him.

It was the longing from afar, the second guessing, the building up the nerve and the approach. Oh and he responded alright. But he did NOT take it well at all.

Oh he took it, alright. It was HOT, steamy, dominating, aggressive. An almost… ugly connection, but the flame between them burned so bright, it could not be denied. And then, to her shock (and to our shock) he treated her like a club “b**ch” and threw her away.

But even in my wildest imaginings, my worst nightmares, what he did next was not something I’d ever expect.

Not from Logan.

Not from the man who had my heart.

Oh and HE DID!!!! *gasp* Of all the *&%$@#*!!!!!!! What. The. Heck!!! (<— I actually said another word here but let’s pretend I was polite the whole time I was reading).

I threw it at him.

He took it.

Now he was done.

And that’s when the push pull started, and the fun “old lady” meddling started, and the biker ‘tude started. Oh the women saw Millie like she was (emotionally distraught), but the men were 100% on Low’s side in this one. Half a book of pure emotional frustration, and if you’re into a slow burn, this one surely smolders. ‘Cause they… are forced into close quarters time and time again, and both can’t stand the sight of the other. FUN TIMES!

So what’s it about?

Mille and Low (Logan) were once the love of each other’s lives. Early twenties, college students, he was just integrating with the Chaos MC and she had her whole career ahead of her. They were SO in love. In fact they stayed together for a few years, and even though they were both very young, she was pretty much considered his “Old Lady”. That is… until she walked out on him… and essentially destroyed him.

Years later, both in their 40′s she’s back in town, single, living her perfect life, in her perfect house, with her perfect career. Everything is just perfect, but without Low, she’s miserable. She’s been single and miserable this entire time?

Since Logan Judd, I had not had a boyfriend.

I had not had a lover.

Not in twenty years.

He was it for me and those pictures showed why.

I met my perfect man at age eighteen and I had him for three years.

Then I sent him away.

Could I right those wrongs?

Should I?

You obliterated him.

I had.

And I’d done the same to myself.

*gasp*!!!! WHAT THE HECK MILLIE??!!! What was all that about?

And that’s what Logan once wanted to know… but right now, he couldn’t give two f**ks. Yep. I said it. At first, he’s full on furious, and wants nothing to do with her. Eventually though, the truth comes out and what a punch to the gut it is for everyone. You and me, too!

SO good. And you know… Logan’s life went on without her. So… there’s all that fun drama potential to be had!

But then… you know, the middle of the book? Things settled. And then I was all… ehhh…. long… longer… longest. Sweet, sure… romantic, absolutely, lots of interaction. The kind that makes everyone seem real, but just the day to day living stuff. Lots of conversation and back and forth and detail (signature KA start telling). Good. Yes… good! But I was finding myself in skim mode.

And then partway into the second half of the book I was HOOKED again. Hilarious…

“Whose woman are you?” Justine asked Elvira a question that I had.

“I don’t belong to a biker. I belong to a cop. But I been adopted,” Elvira explained.

…endearing,

“You’ve fallen in love,” she declared.

He had.

Twenty-three years ago.

bossy!!!

“Millie, I come home, you greet me.” These words were firm.

These words were a demand.

“You’re being bossy.” My words were a warning.

“I come home, you greet me,” he repeated.

“The annoying kind,” I went on.

“I get home, babe, you greet me.

” I stiffened. Because I got it.

exciting and scary!!

I felt it prudent not to relax quite yet because this guy was clearly f**king loco.

I would have no idea how right I was.

I was so into it. Even more than the first half, because it was REAL. Raw. Honest. Exasperating. And heartwarming. Family drama at it’s most dramatic… and then the bad guys kicked in. ‘Cause you know… it’s an outlaw motorcycle club (although I dunno how “outlaw” Chaos is anymore, but just go with it). *sigh* I LOVED it. It felt like I was back in 2011 and re-discovering Kristen Ashley all over again.

I absolutely recommend this if you’re into the MC books and especially if you love Kristen Ashley.

“You hooked your star to an outlaw, baby…”

Yes, it’s over 600 pages, and I think it could stand to loose about 200 of those, but overall, I enjoyed it big time! So many amazing, perfectly details dramatic moments that took my breath away. Things you’d never even think about… and there they were. Making it all SO real.

4 stars! 4.5 stars for the most of the first half and most of the second half, and 3.5 star for the middle.

One of my favorite lines in the book (one of MANY) but don’t read this next part if you haven’t read the book. Just ’cause I just wanna immortalize it ’cause I love it. ‘Kay? ‘Kay. Look away. LOOK. AWAY. Tee hee!!!!

Look away…

“…whatever you were thinkin’ starin’ at the snow, stop it. We lost each other. Now we’re found. And nothin’ else matters.”

I love Krisren Ashley and will read anything she writes. In this story, Millie wants to make amends with Low and there’s delicious tension from the very beginning. Classic KA outline and because I’ve read all her series I know the back story and am happy to see the other character’s stories.

Maryse, I love how your reviews are not riddled with the F-bomb! And even when you do use them in your reviews (kind of) you are apologetic and funny about it. It’s nice to read a review or comment that doesn’t have the F-word in every other sentence!

I’m a die hard KA fan. This one, however, missed the mark for me. I became frustrated with much of the behavior of our beloved bikers — all over a break up that occurred between some very young people TWENTY years ago. Seemed too Junior High-ish for these guys. It was okay for me, but not one of my favs.

I did struggle with the idea that Millie had been alone for ALL tjat time ….that seemed a bit of a stretch…but hey….maybe Ive never hooked my wagon to the right outlaw *winks* so I don’t get her devastation.

Where to begin…huge KA fan, love her brand of alpha hotties***sigh***.

Overall, I loved it once I worked around my despair over the lost years.
DESPAIR, gut wrenching despair….roller coaster stomach dropping, wanting to cry for her and Low despair! Maybe I could have worked it out sooner if it had not been 20 freaking years lost….could it have not been 10??? Enough time for Low to have kids but still have the love of his life.

Also, is it wrong of me to love the breakdown part…where she totally looses her cool and the truth sees the light…and Low being the alpha hottie he is takes her and makes it all feel right again???

I totally agree with you review. Started off with a huge bang. Then slowed down, and picked back up again. Needed to be shorter. The 20 years was an awfully long stretch. They live in same town! Overall, really enjoyable when “that mood” strikes you (MC and KA mood). Just not a re-read for me, so 4 to 4.5 stars.

Speaking of MC, I am reading Dartmoor Book 3, The Skeleton King…. if you are a KA fan you really MUST READ Dartmoor series. This one is Walsh’s story. The moody Brit.

i was once the KA addicted but sadly her last 8 or so books have been 1 or 2 star books for me. they start great but by 40% in i am skimming. and she has really become addicted to the constant endearment after every sentence and nicknames.. i’m sorry but in no MC book does a 40+ yr old badass alpha BIKER want to be called Snookums, nor does a 40+ yr old woman do that.. this one i thought was particularly bad.. a woman that goes 20 YEARS without A date, sex, relationship is not a strong, i gave up THE ONE, it is a woman needing professional help. i didn’t think KA could ruin Tack or Hop for me..but..that bar scene, so high school bully.. and buying kittens to match bed sheets and having a 10 yr old girl kicking Millie to the point of causing bruising and no one says a word?? i think i am pretty much done with KA, which makes me sad because i have spent a lot of $$ of all of her books..but at least i have her earlier stuff that i still enjoy a re-read of.

Nancy, I agree with just about everything you said. Walk Through Fire was a clear “miss” for me. The twenty year celibacy, the juvenile biker behavior and the heroine’s willingness to put up with it all really put me off, too. I, also, have not been quite as crazy about several of KA’s releases in the last couple of years. A couple of them just weren’t’ … that great. Too much redundancy from previous books. (It pains me say that.) However, The Will (released 2014) is my absolute favorite and I go back to it time and time again. While there are traces of the “typical” KA hero and heroine, in The Will they seemed so much more down to earth and mature. The problems more realistic and their responses more believable. It reminded me why I love KA so much and will continue to buy her books. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend it. Maybe you’ll enjoy it as much as me and it will restore your faith in KA!

Danette, i also really liked The Will, that was really the last KA book that i enjoyed from start to finish.. it was different and gave me hope that KA would stop all the cut/paste but then The Soaring happened and i didn’t like that one much at all. Mickey in book 1 was great in book 2 he was a whiney immature “adult” .. her books for me started the big downfall with The Promise, the one book i was REALLY looking forward too…it was terrible. Wild and Free, um yeah conversing with bunnies to get them into battle.. it is always the h that is the weak one..and 10 yr old Ethan from Hold On.. i mean he invades his mom’s privacy then fires off a text that no 10 yr old boy would think to write..he was really creepy. Also, in all of the previous books we were led to believe that Merry was pining away for Mia and then bang we find out they have still been having sex..then after one drunken night of sex with Cheryl (who i couldn’t stand) he is all in with her, though he was going to the bar to let her know it was just a ONS and he scraps off Mia while totally blaming the failure of marriage on HER because he couldn’t deal with this mom’s death after 25+ years and after witnessing his sister’s meltdown?? i think after KA signed with her publisher she is contracted to so many books per year … i mean she is really only writing a half book because last half of these books are just cut/paste/filler about kittens and skillets and ADULT woman having “need a dress for my fancy date..all hands on deck” meetings.. i have moved into and have been enjoying the M/M genre a lot..though i did love Hollywood Dirt. end of rant

i did want to point out that i originally found KA from your website so thanks for that and i have turned a lot of women that i work with onto KA’s early stuff… and clearly many readers still enjoy these books while acknowledging that they are repetitive in situation and dialogue so i don’t have much hope for KA challenging herself to change.. and i get that the first part of the book was gearing up but then like so many of KA’s recent books flatlined… i can’t give a book a 4 star rating if i thought the book could have cut 200 pages out of it…or if i skimmed 30% of it. and again, i have many that i go back to for re-reads.. a few rock chicks, at peace, lady luck, mystery man, motorcycle man, wild man.

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About Me

I am happily addicted to reading but I need to expend my book energy (especially when one puts me in an emotional frenzy - SO fun!). So, I release my feelings about the stories, by writing them down here. It's my book therapy. [ read more ]